American History 1949-1989 and the new millennium, based on the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel.Prior RequirementsAmerican history up to 1949Learning ObjectivesThe student will be able to research three topics covered in Billy Joel’s song “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”The student will be able to share one of the topics from the perspective of actually living at that time in a poster that is visually appealing and informational (students could do a digital poster, possibly using golgster.com instead) The student will be able to use a journal to gather information from 9 other posters by fellow studentsThe student will be able to work in a group and find 6-10 items from their assigned year. These items will be a combination of events, people, pop culture icon, and music. All together they will have 6-10 itemsThe student will be able to divide the work in the group to explain the significance their items during that year and have a visual representation of each item.The student will be able to come to a consensus with their group on how to order and word their chosen items into the rhythm of the song, making two verses.Assessment of Student Learning-The poster for the three items of individual research using the rubric athttp://zunal.com/evaluation.php?w=9835Completion of journal from observing nine or more other students postershttp://zunal.com/conclusion.php?w=9835The group’s LiveBinder for their six to ten items they collaborated in research for their assigned year and their rhythmic arrangement for the verse they create with their chosen items. http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=ShowRubric&module=Rubistar&rubric_id=2103271& The verbal presentation of their six to ten items to the classhttp://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=ShowRubric&rubric_id=2103265 RationaleEvents, people, icons, and pop culture effect and shape our country. Students need to be familiar with these things and understand what kind of influence they have on the world they live in today. Then applying the understanding of the influence these can have and find items from the new millennium. Collaborating with a group they find a combination of six to ten people, events, and pop icons that they believe have shaped the new millennium. Then arrange them in a remake of Billy Joel’s song “We Didn’t Start the Fire”. Sharing their research in pictures, song, and visual images should help the students remember their research and the research of the other groups. Materials and EquipmentAccess to the internet (lab or laptops) for researchPoster board (unless doing a digital poster) Access to this link:http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=9835Access to a LiveBinders accountAccess to tune of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” ProcedureWeek one“We have looked at American history up to 1949.Billy Joel wrote a song to summarize the events of 1949-1989. He chose certain events, people, and pop culture icons that he felt were significant during each year.You will do a webquest to find out more about these events and share their significance with others. You will share your information in a poster (or a digital poster).You will have a week to accomplish everything as they are laid out in the Webquest, except for the journal about other people’s posters. We will begin looking at other people’s posters next week.” NOTE: Before setting the students loose, you may need to address these items listed in the song: 1951- Catcher in the Rye 1961 – Stranger in a Strange Land 1963 – Profumo Affair 1965- Birth control Modification for broken links:Let the students know that on the Process page the link for TeacherTube can be finicky and may need to be tried several times. If they are unsuccessful use this link instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a2SS0zqmzkAlso to skip the link under the words “First: Click on the following link to learn more about the 113 individual topics mentioned in throughout the song. “ Use this link instead: http://www.enotes.com/topic/We_Didn%27t_Start_the_Fire Give students the link to:http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=9835 and have them begin. Through out the week be available for guidance through the webquest and poster making process.Weeks two and threeMonday of the next week, have the posters hanging (or links to digital posters) so that students can spend two days looking over other people’s posters and journaling about them. “Now that you have been exposed to several events, people, and pop icons that have influence our society today; it is your job to come up with the items in most recent history that you believe have had that same impact starting in the year 2000. You will collaborate with an assigned group to find ten to twelve items, give evidence of their influence on our culture today, and arrange them in such a way to fit into a verse of a remake of the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire”“You will build a LiveBinder that will have your all your items, people, or events; a pictorial representation of each, your arrangement of the items to fit the music, and sources for all your information and pictures.Assign the groups and their year to research. Be available to answer any questions.Week fourHave students share their year, the items that they chose, a brief explanation, and their verseExtra Credit if they actually sing it!.
RationaleEvents, people, icons, and pop culture effect and shape our country. Students need to be familiar with these things and understand what kind of influence they have on the world they live in today. Then applying the understanding of the influence these can have and find items from the new millennium. Collaborating with a group they find a combination of six to ten people, events, and pop icons that they believe have shaped the new millennium. Then arrange them in a remake of Billy Joel’s song “We Didn’t Start the Fire”. Sharing their research in pictures, song, and visual images should help the students remember their research and the research of the other groups.
Materials and EquipmentAccess to the internet (lab or laptops) for researchPoster board (unless doing a digital poster) Access to this link:http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=9835Access to a LiveBinders accountAccess to tune of “We Didn’t Start the Fire”
ProcedureWeek one“We have looked at American history up to 1949.Billy Joel wrote a song to summarize the events of 1949-1989. He chose certain events, people, and pop culture icons that he felt were significant during each year.You will do a webquest to find out more about these events and share their significance with others. You will share your information in a poster (or a digital poster).You will have a week to accomplish everything as they are laid out in the Webquest, except for the journal about other people’s posters. We will begin looking at other people’s posters next week.”
NOTE: Before setting the students loose, you may need to address these items listed in the song:
1951- Catcher in the Rye
1961 – Stranger in a Strange Land
1963 – Profumo Affair
1965- Birth control
Modification for broken links:Let the students know that on the Process page the link for TeacherTube can be finicky and may need to be tried several times. If they are unsuccessful use this link instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a2SS0zqmzkAlso to skip the link under the words “First: Click on the following link to learn more about the 113 individual topics mentioned in throughout the song. “ Use this link instead: http://www.enotes.com/topic/We_Didn%27t_Start_the_Fire
Give students the link to:http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=9835 and have them begin.
Through out the week be available for guidance through the webquest and poster making process.Weeks two and threeMonday of the next week, have the posters hanging (or links to digital posters) so that students can spend two days looking over other people’s posters and journaling about them. “Now that you have been exposed to several events, people, and pop icons that have influence our society today; it is your job to come up with the items in most recent history that you believe have had that same impact starting in the year 2000. You will collaborate with an assigned group to find ten to twelve items, give evidence of their influence on our culture today, and arrange them in such a way to fit into a verse of a remake of the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire”“You will build a LiveBinder that will have your all your items, people, or events; a pictorial representation of each, your arrangement of the items to fit the music, and sources for all your information and pictures.Assign the groups and their year to research. Be available to answer any questions. Week fourHave students share their year, the items that they chose, a brief explanation, and their verseExtra Credit if they actually sing it!.